HELP!! Co2 POISINING!?!

[fishbguy]

Yesterday, I put 8 corydoras habrosus in my tank as a cleanup crew, along with a flying fox for my hair algae issue.

The flying fox and the cory cats were both in their tanks at the lfs for well over 2 weeks. So I can't believe that they are bringing anything in.

Last night, I hooked up a Co2 system on my 29 gallon tank. DIY, as I can't afford canister. I used 2, 2 liter bottles, filled each with warm water, 2 cups of sugar in each, and 2 teaspoons of yeast in each one. Same as I did when I had my 10 gallon, but on my 10 gallon I only used one bottle.

I started getting bubbles last night, and was still getting them this morning at a good speed of several per minute.

But now, this morning, my angel, and some of my tetras are gasping for air at the surface, my clownpleco is upsidedown on the ground, gasping, and looking somewhat bloated, and my vampireshrimp is dead. My cories are swimming really weirdly, as they have something wrong with their swimbladder. My apistos, along with a few of my tetras, are fine. I still haven't found the flying fox. None of the fish are swimming around in the water column, but I think I found most of my tetras hiding behind a plant. the pair of apistos is hanging behind their driftwood like normal.

WHAT HAPPENED?!?! I don't think that it was the fish I added, as there weren't that many, and I had a cycled tank. I'll check for ammonia though. I forgot to do that this morning.

The only thing I can think of is the Co2, but I've never had this problem before. The filter I have running on the tank atm, isn't very powerful, and doesn't give much surface aggition. Would this be a possibility?

Needless to say, I unhooked my Co2 system for the time being.

PLEASE HELP!!!

[fishbguy]

Amonia tested somewhere between 0 and 0.5.

[COM]

I think it is pretty obvious that the CO2 was too high. CO2 is waste to animals. Fish, just as humans, exhale CO2 as waste.

In my opinion, dosing CO2 into a tank is about as sensible as dosing ammonia. It may be beneficial to the plants, but I wouldn't pour chemicals that are toxic to me on my lawn just to make it greener.

I again assert that this CO2 thing is an internet craze.

[trashion]

If you dose CO2 carefully (invest in a bubble counter and drop checker!) it does wonders for your plants. Many people who keep planted tanks (myself included) will tell you it's not just an "internet craze," it actually gets great results. If it wasn't getting results, why would it be so popular?

fishbguy: I dealt with this while I was still figuring out CO2. Run a few airlines into the tank to outgas any remaining CO2, then look into getting the drop checker and bubble counter if you want to dose co2.

[COM]

I don't disagree that it can have benefits for plants.

I simply don't see how it is necessary as the plants don't get that much CO2 in their native environment. Plus it isn't good for the fish. That's my major concern.

Then again, I'd go with plastic plants if they looked better.

[gil_ong]

that was one of my main concerns about injecting CO2, but i was assured that the CO2 would not displace/reduce the O2 that is in the water.

[fishbguy]

All the fish are fine now except the angel, which out of my 4, is the last remaining, and some of the cories. I've only lost 2 cory cats in the process.

I called the lfs I got the cories from, and they said that they do nightly waterchanges to keep the phosphates and nitrates down. My testkit doesn't have a phosphate or nitrate test in it, so I"ll test it when I go to work later. I think that this could be the reason why my cories are doing poorly. I know that I do have reletivily high phosphates in my water, as I've had them tested before, but in my waterchanges, I use a 2:1 ratio of RO/DI water to tap water to help get my Ph down, which is also reletivily high. (8.0 out of the tap)

I still have an air tube in the tank to get rid of any Cop2 that might be hiding out, but my Co2 isn't on either atm.

On another forum, they said that I used too much yeast in my mixture. I was getting prolly anywheres from 5-7 bubbles per second. WAY to much. Naturally, I turned it off this morning when I put the air tube in, but I'll have to re-mix it or just run one bottle for the time being.

[COM]

Why mess with it?

[JustOneMore20]

2 teaspoons of yeast?? You're supposed to use like 1/4 to 1/2tsp.


If were getting 5-7 per SECOND, that is too much. But a few per MINUTE wouldn't be. I think you had too much co2 going in because you used too much yeast. The actions of the fish back that up. After using an airstone for a couple days, they should return to normal.

If you try again, only put 1/4tsp of yeast in each one. You shouldn't have the same results.


CO2 can be used safely to where the fish are not harmed. Many, many, many people use it safely in their planted tanks without issues. I am not going to argue though, because some people have arguments for everything.

[fishbguy]

I think that's what I did...too much yeast...

All the other fish are fine now. It's just the cories.

I"m on my way to the fls to get my phosphates and nitrates tested.

[lohachata]

i have never put co2 into my tanks...i will never put co2 into my tanks..i will allow my tanks to be fed by the fish as was intended.a lot of people swear buy it;but unless you watch it every minute of every day something can and will go wrong and you will lose fish.
leave that junk alone and do it right.

[fishbguy]

Like I said, all the fish are fine now. Doing great.

What happened, was when I overdosed on the yeast, and caused alot of Co2 in the tank, the Ph dropped so greatly, and so quickly, that my fish all went into shock and whatnot.

My Ph is normally around 7.5. When I tested it, it was at 6.8. And that was 4 hours after I turned the Co2 off.

[JustOneMore20]

It wasn't the pH drop, it was the amount of co2 in the tank. It suffocated the fish. Either way, it was the amount of co2 from the amount of yeast. CO2 can and is used safely and does a great deal for plant health and plant growth.